Message from Mrs. Sawin

Dear Parents and Families,

            I hope you are all staying well and healthy.  I know that this is a challenging time, but let me reassure you, that your kids are still in my thoughts daily.  Working together with our Angell team, we have developed a plan of action to continue to provide educational opportunities for your children during our time apart.  Luckily, our class uses technology frequently, and your kids are very experienced using all the platforms available by using their Clever badge/GoogleID.  For reference, these items are taped into their homework folder.

            Starting tomorrow, Monday, March 16^th, your children can expect daily communication and assignments from me.  I will be posting a daily Morning Message at 9:00 AM on SeeSaw each weekday, so we can stay connected as a classroom community.  You may know that we always start our day with a team Morning Meeting, so I want to keep that feeling going, even when we can’t see one another.  Students are encouraged to read, post and comment with their classmates each day. 

            Academically, I will also post an assignment on SeeSaw for completion Monday-Friday mornings.  Students should know that they’ll find them by logging into Clever, then SeeSaw, then they’ll click Activities.  I will vary the subject areas and I’ll be assessing and commenting on assignments.  In addition, students can plan on using Lexia and Dreambox each day.  Lexia gives a recommended usage for most students, but if your child does not have required minutes, he/she should try to complete 20-30 minutes per week.  DreamBox recommends around an hour a week for 4th grade.  Also, students were given Reading Group books/assignments as well as a Reading Response homework and math worksheet.  These can be completed and returned to school.  Finally, good old-fashioned reading is a great thing and always encouraged!  If you do none of the online work, just make sure your child is reading! 

            Of course,  please understand that all these plans are simply to provide opportunities for learning.  I realize that many students may not have time to complete each and every assignment.  As a mom myself, I understand that screentime can be both a help and a hindrance for our kids.  I defer to you parents as the experts on what makes the most sense for your child and family.  Hopefully this work will allow you to set a daily family schedule to help your routine.  Setting aside specific times in the day for school work, as well as physical activity, creative endeavors, quiet time (reading, writing or drawing) and play will help get you through the day.  This evening, I helped my kindergartener write out a daily schedule on a chalkboard in her room, which we'll refer to during the day. Even 4th graders can benefit from this kind of structure.

            Finally, I will be available via email to address any questions or concerns you or your children might have.  As usual, I will continue to check email from 7 AM-7 PM and effort to reply within 24 hours of your email.  I will update via SeeSaw and our class blog (www.mrssawin.blogspot.com) with information.

All the best,

Jessica Sawin